Angel Vine

An outstanding Hellion, 44% Primitivo, 31% Petite Sirah and 25% Zinfandel. It’s a complete wine, with a full array of superbly rich berry fruits, a hint of chocolate and fine-grained tannins. Delicious right out of the bottle, but it could be cellared for at least another five years.

It’s a shame that just 100 cases of this wine were made, as this bright, fresh, exciting Zinfandel belongs with the best of California, not just Washington. The fresh-picked strawberry and raspberry flavors are concentrated and vibrating with juicy acidity. They lead into a sappy, lengthy midpalate, with an underpinning of rock.

As the vines grow older, the Alder Ridge Zins gain complexity and gravitas with each new vintage. Tart and brambly, this is a berry-fest, with racy flavors of cranberry, strawberry, raspberry and hints of baking spice. The acidity and overall balance suggest that this can prosper through 2020.

Among the four vineyards used by Angel Vine, the Avery stands apart for its detail, grip and length. Blue fruits take center stage—plums and berries—along with a tasty lick of coffee and chocolate. You may pick up a hint of the tack room and a streak of fennel in the finish.

Primitivo is a close relation to Zinfandel, and it slides easily into the Angel Vine lineup which includes four other Zins. This carries a touch more earthiness than the others, with darker fruits and a distinctive streak of espresso. Good grip and density mark this as the most muscular wine among the 2011’s.

Angel Vine sources excellent fruit, and makes what is arguably the most hedonistic, California-style Zinfandel in the Northwest. Here blended with 13% Primitivo, the sweet and liquorous berry fruit flavors are deep and luxurious. Buttressed with juicy natural acidity, this wine does not show its 14.8% alcohol.

The Hellion is three-quarters Primitivo and the rest Petite Sirah, sourced from a pair of excellent Washington vineyards. An explosion of ripe berries, it coats the palate with effusive fruit, but retains a balance and structure that includes details of spice, espresso, and bitter chocolate. Really well done, and an exceptional value.

A small planting of an unusual “Upright” clone yields this fragrant, smoky, lightly earthy Pinot Noir. Chock full of briary red fruits, it’s a tart, lip-smacking wine, drinking well in its youth, but also positioned (via bracing acidity) for further years of bottle age. The young fruit gives a pretty, cherry candy note to the finish.